HUGE TEST EQUIPMENT SALE

You have to be in Victoria don't you! Move to Sydney, it's much nicer :-P

Will any leftover stuff be available on eBay or an online list?

Dave.

Shame you breach Ebay rules (and department of fair trading rules) by adding GST to the winning bid price.

I would have bought 3 items from you in the past 4 months except for this un-ethical behaviour.

Careful what you say about these guys. Threatened to sue me some years ago when I posted a message about the quality of their offerings. See they are still spamming this newsgroup.

AFAIK it isn't unlawful to add GST to sales to Australian consumers. As the Macservice Group is most likely a GST reporting entity they have to add the GST to Australian sales - it's the law. They do say so in their eBay auctions so there is nothing unfair about that.

If you have anything to complain about it would be the high cost of freight and they use TNT for stuff that is small and light enough to be sent via Australia Post at a fraction of the cost.

Cheers, Alan

On Apr 22, 4:41 am, "Alan Rutlidge" >> Move to Sydney, it's much nicer :-P

It's most likely not "illegal" but it is against eBay policy:

They risk having their account cancelled, losing their 2000 feedback in the process. That's a fine line for them to walk. Wouldn't stop me buying from them though, as they do clearly state in the ad that GST will be added, so I have no problem with that. It's their risk.

Yep, I hate it when companies don't offer a low cost postage option. Some things I get from the US, for the exact same item, can range from $10 to $200 postage depending on what option they choose to use. So I only buy from the ones who offer the low cost postal service option without insurance.

Dave.

On Apr 22, 4:41 am, "Alan Rutlidge" >> Move to Sydney, it's much nicer :-P

I have quoted the ebay policy on GST on sales below, and it says about the ACCC's policy on including GST in advertised pricing as well. I will admit it says that it considers it "best practice" under australian law so whether that makes it actually "illegal", or just "not the recommended way, but not illegal" I don't really know.

(quoted from ebay) "Can I add an amount for GST on top of the final auction or Buy It Now price? No. All prices of items are deemed inclusive of GST, where it is applicable to the listing. That is, sellers who are required to charge GST must not add an additional amount on top of the final bidding price or Buy It Now price on account of GST - the price is considered inclusive of GST. It is the seller's obligation to ensure that they are meeting all obligations with respect to GST. This means sellers who are listing using the auction format and that are required to charge GST will need to set aside 1/11th of the final value for GST purposes.

Why has eBay taken this policy? eBay has always recommended that sellers include GST in the pricing so as to avoid buyer confusion or misunderstanding. Our policy now requires all item prices to be inclusive of GST where a seller is required to charge GST. We have made this decision after receiving feedback from members who felt confused or disappointed if a seller later charged additional amounts in respect of GST and after liaising with the ACCC, and we have made this policy in the interests of making our marketplace as open and transparent as possible - and this includes pricing. The ACCC is a national law enforcement agency in Australia which enforces consumer protection and fair trading laws, and promotes competition in the marketplace. Among the areas it administers, the ACCC aims to ensure that consumers are not mislead or deceived as to the final prices and true costs of items, and considers GST-inclusive pricing to be best practice under Australian law. " (end quote)

Unless you are in one of the very few industries that can purchase items GST exempt, (I think medical and education are 2 of them) or advertising products directly to that market, there isn't any reason not to include it, as its part of the price that will be paid when the item is purchased. it can't be avoided by the buyer and pretty much everyone in Australia has to pay it when they buy the item, so it should be shown as part of the price.

I agree with you on the excessive freight cost too. In many cases the postal system is the most economical, definitely the case if the item isnt needed urgently overnight.

Macservice will also add on 2% in top of the ebay purchase price if you pay by credit card and winning bid is over $1000. see

as quoted on their ebay adverts.

AVOID!!!

Pete

Why? If they have what you want at the price you want (including the 2% surcharge), then there is no real reason to avoid them.

Dave.

Sure, "all items are UNTESTED and sold "AS IS" and are non-refundable" Also selling against ebay rules and extra charges in the fine print.

Go for it.

They have a good reputation as a surplus test-gear seller in Oz, I've had nothing but good dealings with them (pre-eBay), and have recommended them many times to many satisfied customers. They used to test (and calibrate) a lot of test gear they sold. A lot of sellers of surplus test gear on eBay sell "untested, as-is, no refunds", nothing usual about that. If you don't like it, don't buy it. If others are happy with those terms, then I'd recommend them.

Dave.

"Peter"

** How did they know who you were - can't sue you without knowing your name and address.

Anyhow, these guys are in the business of recycling piles of old electronic junk under " buyer beware" conditions.

The RULE to follow IS unless you are in a position to repair the thing you buy from them - DON'T !!!

I got caught with a Wavetek 3000 sig gen from them, came with a warranty, turned into a door stop 6 months later.

....... Phil

"Phil Allison" wrote

I got caught with a Wavetek 3000 sig gen from them, came with a warranty, turned into a door stop 6 months later.

**** Appropros of which,I have a Thandar 502 sweep and function generator which has a small problem.Would anyone have a copy of the circuit diagram or better still,a maintenance manual? Any costs gratefully prefunded.

Brian G.

pay

And how much does the usual pay-pal account add?

MrT.

Paypal does not add anything to the purchase price. Their charges are paid by the seller.

Cheers Pete

about the same. Note also that Ebay are introducing the requirement for all new sellers to offer paypal or credit card facilities as a payment option, in other words needlessly rip-off seller for fees in both cases.